INFRASTRUCTURE WORK AT A GLANCE
● NORTHERN LINE EXTENSION
Plans to extend the Northern Line were given a boost by the chancellor, who said the government will support work to extend the line to Battersea. Also, providing a developer can be found by April 2013, it will consider allowing the Mayor of London to borrow against future tax takings to fund the scheme. The Treasury estimates that the plan could support up to 25,000 jobs in the area and 16,000 new homes, alongside the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station.
● SOUTHERN RAIL CARRIAGES
Around £80m will be spent on 130 additional carriages for use on Southern rail routes, helping to ease congestion on some of Britain’s busiest routes.
● M25 WORK
The government will speed up work on the existing M25 junction 23 to 27 improvements, as well as work on the M1, at a total cost of £100m.
● OYSTER EXPANSION
The Oyster card system will be rolled out to parts of the south east rail network, at a cost of £45m.
● NEW LONDON AIRPORT
Osborne repeated that there will be no third runway at Heathrow but left open the prospect of a new airport in the Thames estuary.
● DARTFORD CROSSING
The government is looking at three sites for a new crossing for the Lower Thames, for example at Dartford.
● SILVERTOWN CROSSING
Pension funds will be encouraged to invest in a possible extra Thames crossing, for example at Silvertown in east London.
● OXFORD – BEDFORD RAIL LINK
The chancellor unveiled plans for a rail link connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes and Bedford, which is expected to sustain 12,000 new jobs.
● TECHNOLOGY
Plans to build a superfast broadband network across ten cities, and work to connect 99 per cent of the UK to the mobile phone network.